Realize
by musicispoetrywithpersonality
Summary: It's obvious. Nick and Jeff would end up together. But what happens when something... or someone comes between them? Might be a little angsty at first. Some swearing.
1. Prologue

_Well hello there, smexii. ;D_

_I'm asuming you're reading this because you're a rabid Niff shipper also, which makes you my new best friend.  
><em>_So about this story, I have the whole thing planned out. Plot line, characters, everything. Now I just have to find time to write and publish, which I'm very short on, so please bare with me!  
><em>_Anyway, as always, please review! __x _

**No I don't own Glee. If I did, Niff would defienetly be canon.**

**You Never Know How Much You Love Someone until You're Losing Them**

Jeff had loved Nick ever since he could remember. He was his playmate in preschool, his best friend… his brother. No one had a closer relationship than them.  
>Then one day it all changed for Jeff.<p>

He didn't exactly know when it happened. It just… happened. It wasn't like anything changed, it was just he became aware of it. It wasn't anything new… but he was scared to death. Jeff realized he was in love with his best friend.

Both of them knew the other was gay. It had been that way since 8th grade. Nothing had ever been awkward between them, because they were best friends and nothing more. But the weird thing was, deep down, both of them knew there was clearly a lot more between them. Everybody saw the sexual tension between them, even they were aware of it, but it didn't seem to phase either of them.  
>Well at least Jeff hid the fact that it phased him. A lot.<p>

Jeff and Nick had always been comfortable with each other. They'd share the same bed and cuddle when it was cold. They'd wrestle and have tickle fights with each other. They basically flirted with each other 24/7. They were clearly more than friends, but at the same time they weren't.  
>Nick and Jeff's relationship only made since to themselves, and nobody else. Everyone was just entirely confused.<p>

If anyone asked, they were best friends. Everyone they would meet thought they were a couple, but they weren't. There was really no way of explaining it, except for the fact that they were destined to be together. No matter what happened, if they liked or dated anyone else, if they ever lost contact… Nick and Jeff would obviously end up together in the end.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Wow. Even though I'd LOVE them I often don't get a lot of reviews, and I got FOUR for just the prologue. ****So yeah, that made me pretty happy. So thank you amazing people! :D Sorry it took so long to get this chapter. I hope you'll forgive me:)**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Glee. Obviously.**

"...And the time we tied Wes to the chair and made him watch us destroy his precious gavel?" Jeff was laughing so hard he could barely speak. Nick was gasping for breath in between giggles and snorts.

Jeff, Nick, David, Wes, Trent, and Thad were all gathered around the lunch table. The Warblers were reminiscing about all the pranks they'd ever pulled. Well, maybe not ALL of them, because you could practically write a book about them.

"I still haven't forgiven you guys for that one." Wes mumbled, glaring at the two, lovingly known as 'Niff'. The two were practically inseparable, and it was just too much work to say Nick and Jeff, so the fellow Warblers gave them the couple/best friend - whatever you wanted to call it - name Niff. Ever since then, when speaking of the two, they are always classified as Niff.

"Oh come on man, we do it out of love." Nick smiled innocently, finally recovering from his laughing attack. Wes just sent another death glare Niff's way, which only made them burst out laughing again.

The laughter only started to die down when Blaine and Kurt joined the table. "Hey guys, have you met the new guy?" Blaine asked, sitting down alongside David.

The Warblers looked around at each other, shaking their heads no, confused looks on most of their faces.

"New guy?" Trent asked. Blaine nodded. "Yeah. He's a junior. I think he might be interested in joining the Warblers. I invited him to join us today."

Wes frowned slightly. "Okay, I'm all for being welcoming and all, but this is our _table_."

"Oh come on Wes, loosen up." Kurt rolled his eyes. "He probably won't want to stick around you crazy baboons anyway."

The other Warblers chuckled and Wes just made a face.

"Oh look, here he comes." Blaine motioned to the entrance of the cafeteria.

"Try to act normal. Make a good first impression." Kurt smiled smugly, who was lightly smacked on the arm by Trent.

The boys looked across the room where a tall figure walked- no - _strode_ towards their table. Jeff slightly raised his eyebrows.

He looked quite like Jeff. He was Jeff's height, but had a bit of a more muscular build, though he wasn't beefy or anything. He had gorgeous brown eyes, and messy blonde hair. He had the air of the badass type, if he wasn't in the Dalton uniform, he'd be wearing skinny jeans and a leather jacket.

As he approached the Warbler's table, Blaine stood up politely and greeted him. He smiled, a dazzling smile, and took the seat across from Nick, next to Thad.

"Everyone, this is Lucas Peterson." Blaine announced.

"Hey." Lucas smiled.

"These are Warblers Kurt, Thad, Nick, Jeff, Trent, David, and Wes." Blaine pointed each boy out as he named them.

"Nice to meet you all." Lucas said politely but sincerely. His eyes traveled around the table, lingering on Nick's for a while longer than the others.  
>Nobody else seemed to really notice this, or didn't seem to care, but Jeff.<p>

It was normal for Jeff to over-react over little things, only knowing the tip of the iceberg and over-analyzing the situation. Only when he stops and slows down does he realize he's being irrational and tries to let it go.

But still. Why was Lucas doing that? Even now when he and the Warblers were already deep in conversation, he kept glancing over at Nick every now and then.  
>Jeff's heart dropped. Why else would he do that? He's interested in Nick. Already. Even though he <span>just<span> met him. Okay, who wouldn't be interested in Nick, even in that short amount of time? Nick is a very attractive guy. He's kind of on the shorter side, which makes him even more adorable - at least Jeff thought - he has a dreamy smile, and his hair - oh my god - his bangs when they are right over his forehead but not in the way of his eyes - oh, his beautiful brown eyes...

"Jeff!"

Jeff blinked, snapping out of his little trance. Everyone was staring at him, and he laughed nervously. "Yeah?"

"We were just going around the table telling Lucas about how the Warblers work," David explained. "Anything else... you'd like to add?"

Luckily, even though he didn't know, Jeff was the last one to "share their little bit of info". Considering he had missed the whole conversation though, he just smiled and shook his head. "No, I think you guys covered it."

Nick eyed him suspiciously but shrugged it off. He knew something was off, he knew Jeff more than Jeff knew himself, but it wasn't a big deal and he could be dealt with later.

"Cool, I'd love to join - if of course, you wanted me to." Lucas replied.

"Well of course we want you to, there's always room for a new Warbler." Trent expressed his friendliness.

"But you'd have to audition," Kurt butted in. He wasn't trying to be snobby; he just wanted to make it clear that Lucas wasn't just going to come in and have it easy.

Lucas made a little of a 'duh' face. "Well, yeah, that's only fair."

"Then we welcome you." Kurt beamed.

"You can audition at next Monday's meeting," Wes declared. "That gives you a week. Does that give you enough time?"

Lucas merely shrugged. "Plenty." And there, he smiled his dazzling smile again.

Jeff shifted uncomfortably in his seat once again. It wasn't Lucas himself that made him uneasy. Or his stupid ridiculously attractive smile. It was the fact that every time he seemed to smile, he looked at Nick. Not in his direction, or passed him, but straight at Nick. Like he was... un-dressing him with his eyes.

_Whoa there, Jeff. Slow down. You're just being crazy now._

Jeff mentally slapped himself. He had to be over-reacting. Lucas was looking at all the other Warblers the same way, and for the same amount of time.

"Alright, speaking on behalf of all the Warblers, we will be looking forward to it." Wes said, and as a habit, he went to bang his gavel (even though there was really no reason to at this current moment), but ended up smacking the table with his fork.

All the boys started cracking up, except for Lucas, who just looked completely confused, and threw sarcastic comments about Wes and his romance with his gavel around the table.

Next class period was about to start, so everyone got up to gather their things and clean up the table.

"Hey, does anyone have history now?" Lucas asked. "I need a tour guide." He chuckled.

_Oh shit_. Jeff thought.

Nick, being the dork he was, raised his hand and waved it around high in the air. "I do!"

Lucas laughed, and that stupid blinding smile of his spread across his face. "Look at that, I'm in luck."

Okay, that time, Jeff wasn't just imagining it. Lucas was clearly in to Nick.

And Jeff suddenly felt like he was stabbed in the heart.

**Please review! Chapter 2 is on its way! :D lessthanthreesix.**


	3. Chapter 3

'**Ello there, friends.  
>Thank you SO much for all the great reviews, they keep me going! Keep being amazing :D<strong>

As the other Warblers parted ways to go to their next classes, Nick and Lucas turned to go to the history room. Jeff didn't have history, but he walked with them because his class, French, was in the room right across the hall. This was the only class they weren't in together, because Nick had already taken French for years and was in a more advanced class. This made Jeff have the awesomest tutor ever.  
>The two didn't mind not having this one period together, because 1) they had free period next and always hung out then (and practically every other waking moment of their lives. Actually, even non-waking moments, because they shared a room) and 2) Since the French and History rooms were directly across from each other, they had managed to persuade their teachers to change where each sat, so they were both at the tables that were right in front of the windows of the doors. This meant they could clearly see each other, however, neither of their teachers had picked up on this yet, which was pretty hard to believe because the boys had come up with their own sign language and communicated with each other quite frequently.<br>They did it mostly to pass jokes back and forth, and to complain about how boring class was, and it was funny to see one of them signing at the door and just break out into a fit of giggles, but when the teacher turned around and looked out the window, there was no one there and they didn't seem to pay attention to the fact the other Niff boy was positioned in perfect view.

"So uh, Lucas," Jeff started. "Where ya from?

"Well originally I was born in Britain, but I was adopted when I was a baby and my adopted family lived here." Lucas explained.

Both Nick and Jeff raised their eyebrows.

"You're adopted?" Jeff asked.

"You're British?" Nick piped up.

_Well shit. Even though he was raised here watch him start using his charming little accent and Nick's just gonna fall right now._

Okay, theoretically, Nick wouldn't fall in love with Lucas just like that. But Nick loves British guys. Okay, maybe Jeff couldn't deny the fact that British guys were incredibly hot, nor could he completely deny Lucas was pretty attractive himself, but that was probably only because Jeff knew he himself was pretty smokin' and he looked a lot like Jeff.  
>But Jeff didn't care about any of that. He didn't care if he started stripping and singing some sex song in a British accent. Jeff didn't like him. He wasn't a bad person, probably the complete opposite, he was just taking way to much interest in Nick and Jeff didn't like it. At all.<p>

Lucas slightly laughed. "Nah, I just made that up on the spot."

Neither one of them caught the sarcasm in his voice, so Lucas rolled his eyes and explained once again. "Yes I'm adopted. Yes I'm British."

"Wow." Nick breathed. Jeff twitched slightly and just 'hmmed' and tried to come up with another question to drive the conversation.

He really couldn't come up with anything, nor did he really want to. All he wanted to do was get through French so he could spend free period with Nick, get through their last class, and have the rest of the day just to put his homework off and have a movie marathon with Nick. Was that too much to ask for?

"So can you speak in a British accent? Or were you adopted too soon?"

Apparently, it was like asking for the moon.

"Well, I'm not too sure about that, care to tell me if I can?"

And there it was. One of the hottest British accents Jeff has heard yet.

_Well this is the greatest day of my life._ Jeff thought bitterly.

Nick just stared at Lucas with dreamy eyes with his mouth slightly agape. After several seconds of probably the most awkward silence Jeff has been in he lightly elbowed Nick.

"Oh, um…" Nick stammered. He cleared his throat, which made things even more awkward in Jeff's opinion. He looked around nonchalantly, but really, it wasn't nonchalant at all.

"Yeah, I think you can." Nick chuckled nervously. The final bell rang and Jeff silently thanked god for getting him out of this hell.

"Gotta go." Jeff said in a rush, and turned on his heel, but Nick tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to face him again.

"You forgetting something?" Nick asked innocently, holding out his hand. Jeff's brown eyes lit up and a vibrant smile spread across his face. Nick thought was the best thing in the universe, and Jeff stuck his hand out also, and the two did their secret handshake.

"Oh yeah!" The two rejoiced together. They both smiled, now being able to officially part from the other's presence and turned to enter opposite classrooms.

Lucas chuckled. "I assume you guys do that every time you leave each other?"

Nick's eyes sparkled, and he still hadn't stopped smiling. "Yeah." He giggled slightly. "And any other time we feel like it."

Lucas just smiled in return. _Looks like I've got competition. Big competition._

**Alright I know, short chapter. Doesn't accomplish much. BUT. I wanted to ask your guys' opinion! Would you guys rather have Lucas be kind of the bitchy type like Sebastian and doesn't care about Jeff at all? OR would you like to see him try to win Nick over but then really see that Nick really does love Jeff and respect that and move on? I'd rather it be the latter… but don't worry he won't give up that easily ;) Let me know in your reviews! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thanks to all those who reviewed, and to all who has read this! Really, it means a lot to me. **

**So I know how I said I thought I had this all planned out... well. This is what happens when I plan things. **  
><strong>They NEVER go the way I planned. That's why I never plan anything... I don't stick to original plans at all. xD<strong>  
><strong>I'm still working things out, I pretty much know the overall story is, I'm just having a hard time acutally writing what I'm thinking. It's all in my head, but it's not coming out on paper. :0<strong>

**Anyway, again, thanks SO much. I love you all :D**

XXX

After separate classes, Jeff and Nick… and Lucas met in the hallway. Once again, there was an awkward air around them. I mean, there wasn't really much to say. Lucas was new, nobody really knew him – and you couldn't really get to know someone in the short five minutes between classes. Besides, Jeff really wasn't interested in starting a conversation anyway.  
>Lucas really didn't know what to say, and Nick was still kind of dumbfounded by Lucas' British genes.<p>

Luckily, Lucas had another class, not free period like the other two boys. Even if he didn't have class… Jeff wasn't going to let this British twit get in the way.

"So, I guess I'll see you guys… later?" Lucas suggested, after at least a minute of them three of them just standing there, looking around, saying absolutely nothing.

"Yeah, probably." Jeff smiled. He was lucky he was a good actor. Well, to a point. You can't hide your true feelings forever.

Lucas half-smiled, but Nick's "That would be great." Made his smile grow and his eyes shine vibrantly as he walked away.

Jeff rolled his eyes sarcastically and kinda chuckled, to cover up what he was really feeling.

"What?" Nick could hide his emotions well, just like Jeff, but when you've known someone practically your whole life you can see the little things. Jeff could tell he was slightly blushing, which only made the pang in his heart greater.

"Nothing," he lied with a signature Jeff smile. "Let's get going."

Nick matched the bright smile and followed Jeff to the common room.

Nick had to admit, even if he was attracted to this Lucas guy, that smile of Jeff's can always get him back.

xxxx

Lucas wandered the halls, looking down at his schedule then back up at the room numbers on the wall.

"Hey… Lucas, right?" Trent came up to Lucas with a smile. "You look lost."

Lucas chuckled, blushing a light shade of tomato. "That's an understatement." He rubbed his forehead. "I'm kinda horrible with directions." He whispered.

Trent laughed warmly. "I'm sure I've seen worse… What are you looking for?"

"English."

"Oh. I'm in that class. Walk with me." Trent smiled.

Lucas nodded, and followed Trent. English was on the other side of this wing, so they would have a little while to talk.

"So. How do you like Dalton so far?" Trent asked.

"Well, so far, all of you have been incredibly nice and welcoming." Lucas started. "Teachers are pretty friendly too."

"Just stay on their good side and you won't have to see the not-friendly side of them," Trent warned. "It aint pretty."

Lucas laughed. "Will do."

They walked a little ways in silence, until Lucas asked; "Um, Jeff and Nick… they pretty close?"

Trent kinda smirked. "More like joined at the hip. They've been friends since preschool."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Preschool?"

Trent nodded. "Yeah. They're practically inseparable. And I mean that quite literately."

"Hmm. I kinda figured that." Lucas commented as they entered the classroom. He realized he had no idea where he was or how he got there. He found a seat and made a mental note.

Pay attention next time.

You're gonna have to work your ass off to get this brown-eyed pretty boy.

xxxx

By the end of their last class, Jeff was mentally exhausted. The whole class period he was fighting with the voices in his head about a certain blonde British guy.  
>Being the one who overanalyzes everything and stresses out about nothing, he frequently jumped to conclusions.<br>In this situation…  
>He didn't like those conclusions.<p>

No matter what, Nick… Nick was his. Nobody could just show up and take him away. It wasn't going to happen.

"So… what's it gonna be tonight? Harry Potter? AVPM? We could even do Star Wars." Nick suggested, opening the door to their shared dorm.

Jeff flopped down on his bed. He honestly wasn't feeling up for, well, anything. Especially the loads of homework he had yet to finish plus what he got today.

Nick, being the genius he was, could procrastinate all he wanted and still get straight A's.

He looked over at Jeff for an answer, but he just shrugged.

This was something Jeff _never_ did. He was always talkative and hyper and… just never _quiet._ Nick cocked his head to the side and his brown eyes grew soft.

"What's wrong, Jeffie?"

Jeff shrugged once again. "Just a lot on my mind."

Nick sat on the edge of Jeff's bed. "You know you can tell me anything, Jeffie." He said gently.

_Anything and everything, but the one thing that's killing me._

Jeff half-smiled. "I know… but it's just stupid stuff-"

"Well obviously it's not stupid; you're all worked up over it." Nick pointed out.

"Lucas. It's Lucas." Jeff sighed. Nick looked down slightly, and Jeff could have sworn he saw his cheeks color, but just like that it was gone. Nick could hide his emotions from almost anyone except Jeff.  
>And again, there was that little pang in his heart.<p>

"What about him?"

"I just… I don't really like him."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Nick rolled his eyes slightly. There was always something more behind Jeff's "I don't knows". It was usually something along the lines of "I don't want to tell you because I'm just an idiot and what do I know" or "I don't want to upset or hurt you".

Nick chuckled. "Jeffie, I know you probably more than you know yourself." He scooted closer to Jeff, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Jeff felt warmth shoot through his body at the physical contact. It was one of those things that shouldn't get to him by now, but he thought he'd probably never get used to it.

"I know you know. But you can tell me when you're ready." Jeff really loved this about Nick. He didn't push him to do or say anything he didn't want to at the time. The amount of trust they had in each other was amazing. They were best friends – and the other knew the other would tell them when they were ready.

"Now, I think he's pretty nice." Nick said.

_Of course you do. You also think he's the sexiest thing you've ever seen in your life._

"What don't you like about him?"

Jeff shrugged. What the hell was he supposed to say? Uh, he's completely eye-fucking you and you're mine?

Ha. Yeah, right.

"I really don't know. Just my instincts I guess."

Nick sighed. "Alright..."

"There's just something about him that my gut doesn't like. I'm not saying he's not friendly or anything, it's just… I don't know." Jeff trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

Nick nodded. "I understand."

Nick wasn't a liar, but Jeff couldn't help but to wonder,

_Do you really?_

xxxx

In the middle of English, Trent silently pulled out his phone while the teacher ranted on about the importance of commas, or whatever he was talking about.

_Guys, meet me at the bottom of the second floor stairwell right after class. I know we haven't got much time before last period, but it's urgent. – Trent_

All the Warblers obeyed, and as the bell sounded for the end of class, they all bolted to the second floor stairwell.

Kurt, Blaine, Wes, and David were there first, shortly followed by Trent and finally Thad. They all had rather confused looks on their faces, and Kurt voiced what they were thinking.

"Um… what's going on?"

Trent's eyes shifted from each Warbler, then down to the ground almost shyly. "Well, it might be nothing, but…"

"What's nothing?" David asked.

"But what?" Wes urged.

Trent sighed. "I… I think we should keep an eye on Lucas. He was sort… asking about Nick." Trent explained.

The boys' eyebrows furrowed in thought and confusion.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked.

"Well, he wasn't just acting about Nick. He was asking about his relationship with Jeff."

Thad shrugged. "So? I would be curious about those two too if I was new."

"Well… that's the thing…" Trent turned and looked around at the wave of other students to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them.

"He didn't ask like he was curious. He asked like he was interested in Nick, and wanted to know if Jeff was in the way."

The others' eyes lit up with understanding.

"Well, honestly, I wouldn't doubt it; did you see how he was looking at Nick at lunch?" Kurt asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"Yeah." David agreed. "Actually, I did notice that."

Thad, Wes, and Trent nodded, and Blaine looked over at Kurt. "Yeah, Jeff seemed pretty… off." He whispered in his boyfriend's ear, and Kurt nodded.

"Yeah, well, I don't know about you guys, but…" Trent started. "I don't want anyone getting in the way of those two. I don't think I could handle it."

Wes sighed. "I mean, yeah they're completely adorable and all but the never ending dance they're doing around each other and the sexual tension between them just makes me want to puke."

David snorted and Thad rolled his eyes. "You don't know how many times I've been_ this_ close to stuffing them in a closet and refuse to let them out until they –"

"Confess their undying love for each other-"

"And have incredibly hot closet sex?"

Kurt just giggled, not at his addition to Thad's statement, but Wes'. In return Wes got high-fives from Blaine and David.

Thad just chuckled. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Trent just rolled his eyes with a smile. "So can we all agree to just… keep an eye on Lucas? And if it's true… maybe toss him off a cliff?"

The boys' jaws dropped and eyes grew wide, staring at Trent.

Trent never says anything bad or that would cause someone harm. What happened?

"Okay, alright… I didn't mean that…"

His fellow Warblers just laughed, and a chorus of "yeahs" and "nothing's going to get in the way of Niff" spread across the group as the warning bell rang and they all raced for class.

XXXX

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	5. Chapter 5

**Heyy guys!**

**I know, it's been like, MONTHS. And I'm really sorry, life totally got in the way. And I know this is a really short chapter, but at least you got somethin'!**

**Anyway, thank you all so much for the favorites & follows, and REVIEWS! I love reviews... :) **

**Again, I'm sorry for the pretty much half a year absence, but I'm back! Hugs for you all!**

That night, Nick didn't bother trying to persuade Jeff into doing anything. Not only because he was clearly upset, but also because the blonde really did have a huge pile of homework to catch up on. It was like he was swimming – no, more like _drowning _– in the sea of papers that covered their shared desk.

Jeff was working a math problem, and had been for quite some time now. His face was scrunched up in confusion, but determination sparkled in his hazel eyes. He refused to give up, he knew he was close, and had been several times, but there was just something he was missing.

Nick asked him if he needed help several times, getting the same "No, I'm fine" answer out of Jeff every time.  
>This told him that Jeff was still upset; on top of the fact the taller boy was still being extremely quiet. Usually, even when he was doing his homework, he would chat or sing softly to himself, and ask Nick tons of questions because he easily got confused.<p>

But no, right now, he wasn't even humming. Nick didn't quite understand why he was so upset. Yeah, he knew he had told him he didn't particularly care for Lucas, but that didn't make any sense to get him this worked up because of _that_. And come on, he just met the guy; he had to at least give him a chance. Nick didn't see what was so wrong about him. He seemed really nice and friendly, and he couldn't deny he was very attractive too. Maybe Jeff was jealous… but of what? There was nothing to be jealous about… except maybe his ancestry.

A knock at the door snapped Nick out of his thoughts, and he made his way over to the door because Jeff still looked completely invested in his math.

Nick opened the door to find Lucas standing in front of him. As soon as he saw Nick, that stupid dazzling smile of his spread across his face.

"Hey, Nick,"

Jeff's had snapped up from his work, immediately distracted. Just as fast as his head shot up, he was at the door before Nick could say anything.

"Hey Lucas… what are ya doin' here?" He asked, a genuinely fake smile plastered to his face. Jeffrey Sterling was one of only a few that could actually make this look sincere.

Lucas's smile instantly faded into an amused smirk. "I was just gonna ask Nicky here for some help with the history assignment. I'm a little confused." He chuckled innocently.

_Woah. Woah woah woah woah woah. No. Absolutely not. NOBODY besides Jeff calls Nick Nicky._

Jeff had to bite his tongue not to say anything. Nobody had the right to call him Nicky besides him.

"Oh, um, yeah… Sure. No problem." Nick smiled.

"Great. Do you want to go back to my dorm then?" Lucas asked. His voice was innocent, but you couldn't trust that not-so-little glint in his brown eyes.

Now, Jeff really wanted to punch him in the face. He couldn't believe how much he resented this guy and he hadn't even known him 24 hours yet.

"Sure, but only for a little bit. I need to get back. You okay with that, Jeff?"

Nick really felt stupid now, because he knew Jeff didn't like it, and he could tell from the way he stood there he was even more upset now. Nick felt really bad, but he also felt like Jeff was overreacting.

"Yeah, I guess so." Jeff shrugged, but his voice caught the slightest bit the way it did when he was either really pissed off or on the verge of tears. Nick only noticed this because he knew Jeff more than he knew himself, and really wanted to know why Lucas made him so uncomfortable.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Nick promised, with a hint of apology in his brown eyes.

Jeff half smiled and nodded then turned to Lucas and his eyes grew hard.

"His name is Nick. Not Nicky."

His eyes bore into Lucas's, but, unphased, Lucas held the blonde boy's gaze and chuckled with a smug look.

"I'll remember that next time, Jeffie."

And as Lucas turned on his heel, Nick watched Jeff close the door behind him, and knew for a fact he hadn't just imagined the hostility between them.

**Well well well. I personally don't like what Lucas did there at all. What about you guys? Review please! **

**Oh, I changed my tumblr URL, it's now _xxsmilealwaysxx_. Follow me! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to ALL of you for reading! I love you guys!**

Jeff slid down the door. He placed his head in his hands, and took a deep breath.

He really couldn't describe what he was feeling. All he knew is that it didn't feel good.  
>It hurt. A lot.<p>

_Okay Jeff, stop. Slow down. Take a deep breath._

This is one thing he really hated about himself. He would get all worked up over something that he didn't even know all the details to. He was hoping this was just another one of those many times that happened.

_Alright, what do you know for sure?_

He wasn't 100% sure on much of anything. Based on what just happened – well, what_ really_ just happened?

Lucas came to the door, asking "Nicky" for help with the history assignment. Yeah, that was completely innocent, but the _way_ he did it showed different motives. He invited Nick back to his dorm. Who does that? They just met; he could have brought his homework with him and asked to come in for a little while.  
>But no. So that, to Jeff, said "I want Nick and I alone and I don't want you in the way". And Jeff saw, when Lucas had just seen Nick, his face was all bright from a blinding smile, and his eyes… Jeff knew he wasn't just imagining it… he could see <em>something<em> there. Like that little glitter people get in their eyes when they looked at someone they were in love with. Or were very attracted to.  
>But as soon as he came up behind Nick, Lucas's face faded into… animosity.<p>

That, on top of what happened earlier today, Jeff thought it was pretty safe to say Lucas didn't care for him.

Good, Jeff didn't like him too well either. They were on the same page. Maybe they were on the same page in more than one way though…

_Nick._

Nick was the common denominator. Is that why they didn't like each other? That had to be it. They both wanted Nick. That's exactly why Lucas didn't like him. He saw Jeff as a major obstacle to get to Nick.

The thing was... Nick was already taken. He was his. He belonged to Jeff, and he had since… since always. Since the first day they met in preschool. That's the way it's always been.

He was Nick's, Nick was his.

Nick was taken, and Lucas didn't seem to understand this.

Well, he was going to find out. Very soon.

Xxxx

Nick and Lucas walked back to Lucas's dorm in silence. It was a short distance away, so they couldn't really start a conversation because it wasn't a long walk. Lucas had gotten the empty dorm that was only five doors down.

Lucas opened the door and motioned Nick in and then closed it behind them.  
>He must have moved in over the weekend, because he looked like he was already settled in. Besides the new textbooks scattered across his bed, and the leather jacket that was flung carelessly across the desk chair, everything was already neat and organized.<p>

"Wow, you moved in pretty fast." Nick commented, still taking in his surroundings.

"Yeah, actually, I'm still quite surprised with that." Lucas said. He sat down at his desk, and gestured to the extra chair over by his closet. Nick grabbed it and placed it by Lucas. It was a tight squeeze, but they both managed to fit at the desk, thought their shoulders touched.

Nick tried to scoot over as much as possible, so maybe their shoulders would brush every so often, but every time he moved, Lucas seemed to also move to close the space between them once again.

"Okay so… what exactly do you need help with?" Nick asked, still trying to make more space for himself without being too obvious.

"Umm… all of it?" Lucas looked at him, almost embarrassed, and shrugged innocently. "I don't exactly know where to start."

Nick almost laughed. Was he being for real? History was one of the easiest subjects you could take.  
>Well maybe his school did assignment different or something… but Nick didn't really want to give him the benefit of a doubt.<p>

"Well… you start by reading the assigned pages." Nick laughed, and paged through from pages 276-293.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Really Einstein? I know that much!"

"Well you said you didn't know where to start!" Nick protested, throwing his hands in the air. "So you've read the pages?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes I've read the pages. It's this stupid essay question… how are you supposed to write five pages…_ typed_, on that!"

"Quite easily, actually," Nick smiled.

"Okay, boy genius. Got any pointers then?" Lucas asked.

Nick thought for a moment. "Umm… just write an outline first. Take notes, look for important dates and people and places to remember. Then you can –"

"Did you know you have really pretty eyes?"

Nick was cut off by Lucas, staring deeply into his eyes when he looked up from the textbook. It looked as if the boy hadn't even listened to a work he just said.

"Ex… cuse me?"

Lucas, still not breaking eye-contact, repeated himself. 'You have really pretty eyes."

Nick slightly blushed. "Um." He hated getting compliments in the first place; they always made him feel awkward. But this one completely caught him off guard. He half-smiled, and chuckled nervously.

Clearing his throat, he mumbled, "Thank you."

Lucas's blinding smile spread across his face. "You're quite welcome, Nicky."

Nick felt his face grew hot. That was what Jeff called him since the first time they had met, and only Jeff.

Trying not to sound rude, he smiled and said "Would you mind just calling me Nick?"

Like back at his dorm, when Jeff had appeared, Lucas's smile faded into an almost amused smirk. And Nick swore he saw a flash of… jealousy in his eyes?

But when he said "Of course, no problem" his voice was light and friendly, though Nick could see that his bright ice blue eyes said something else.

Awkward silence.

"So... take notes, important people, dates, places…"

Nick nodded. "You got it."

"Great."

Another awkward silence, though this one wasn't nearly as long as the first.

"I better get back," Nick said, trying to stand up. Lucas pushed his chair back from the desk so he could get out easier.

"Thanks for your help. I appreciate it." Lucas said. He was really sincere about it too, but when he smiled, he winked at Nick.

Nick, making his way to the door, really didn't know what to think of this and said "'Course. Lemme know if you have any more questions."

"Oh, I will."

Xxxx

When Nick returned, Jeff was so relieved when he walked through the door. He hadn't even been gone a half an hour, but it felt like forever. Even though he was certain Nick was his, no question about it, there was that little part in the back of his mind that made him worry that Lucas would take him away. That he would make Nick fall for him. Just the thought of that hurt like hell.

"Sooo… how was it?" Jeff asked, still at the desk, but the sea of papers had slightly diminished since Nick had been gone.

Nick sat down on the side of his bed, facing Jeff. He looked at the floor, as if lost in thought, then his gave traveled to Jeff.

"I was telling him some tricks on outline for the essay we have to write in history, and then he totally cut me off and said…"

Jeff froze slightly. What could he have possibly said? _Jeff, calm down. Don't jump to conclusions._

"He asked if I knew I had pretty eyes."

Jeff felt a wave of different emotions flood over him. "What the hell?" he asked, rather calmly, sounding confused.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. So I was like um thanks, and he said 'you're quite welcome Nicky'."

Out of the wave of emotions he was just feeling, anger now overpowered the rest.

That son of a _bitch_, Jeff thought. He told him his name was Nick, not Nicky. Not to him. He thought he had made himself clear. Apparently not, and Jeff planned on changing that.

"Jeff!"

"What?" Jeff realized he got lost in thought… and anger.

"Are you okay?" Nick's eyes traveled down to Jeff's hand, where the pencil he had been using was tightly gripped between his clenched fist.

Blinking, Jeff dropped the pencil. "Yeah, I'm fine…" He paused. "So what did you say to him after that?"

Nick felt himself start to blush and quickly tried to hide it. "I asked him to just call me Nick."

Jeff was surprised by this. He couldn't help but to smile. Maybe he really was overreacting and jumping to conclusions way too fast.

"Really"

Nick's gaze dropped and he smiled shyly. He looked like a little boy. "Yeah… because that's what you call me. And only you… I don't want to change that any time soon."

Jeff was smiling from ear to ear. He probably looked like an idiot. He felt like his love for Nick just radiated from him, and really wondered how Nick didn't notice at all.

"Aww, that's so sweet."

Nick smiled even more than Jeff. Was he imagining it… or did he really feel like they were more than just best friends?

"Hey. Always remember, Agents three and six. No matter what happens."

He held out his hand, at that was Jeff's cue to hold out his, and they proceeded with their handshake.

"Agents three and six." Jeff beamed.

**Okay, I thought I'd give you guys some fluff 'cause things are gonna get not so pretty... so enjoy it while it lasts!**  
><strong>Follow me on tumblr and twitter! xxsmilealwaysxx and xosmilealwaysox. Don't forget to review! :D<strong>


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